Oscillating power tools may be used in combination with different types of accessories (e.g., blades, rasps, sanders, scrapers) in order to perform different desired tasks. The accessories are typically configured to be releasably fastened to and removed from the oscillating power tool to either replace a used accessory with a newer one and/or to attach a different type of accessory to the oscillating power tool to perform a different function. Manufacturers of these oscillating power tools often sell such accessories with the caveat that the accessories are specifically designed for exclusive use with their brand of oscillating power tool and are therefore incompatible with other manufacturers' oscillating power tools.
This may be more easily understood with reference to a specific example.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2008/0190259 to Bohne (“Bohne”), which is part of the prior art, describes an example of a prior art accessory 14 (e.g., a blade) mountable to an oscillating power tool 28, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. More specifically, as is common for oscillating power tools, the accessory 14 is mounted to a drive flange 38 of the oscillating power tool 28 via a fastening portion 44 of the accessory 14 which has a number of form-locking elements 12′ (i.e., openings) for engaging a number of form-locking elements 12 (i.e., projections) of the drive flange 38. Once the accessory 14 is engaged with the drive flange 38 in that manner, a screw 42 is engaged with a threaded hole 10 of the drive flange 38 to clamp the accessory 14 against the drive flange 38.
In order to ensure that only their accessories are compatible with their oscillating power tools, manufacturers configure the projections on the drive flanges of their oscillating power tools (such as the form-locking elements 12 of Bohne) to have a specific pattern with which only their respective accessories are matable. As a result, users that own oscillating power tools made by different manufacturers are required to hold stock of each individual oscillating power tool's requisite replacement accessories due to the accessories' respective arbor (i.e., a fitting slot/hole—such as the form-locking elements 12′ of Bohne) that is unique to each manufacturer. This results in high inventories of blades and/or other types of accessories which can be costly to maintain, particularly since some accessories, such as blades, provided by these manufacturers are expensive. Moreover and in particular with respect to blades, due to this high associated cost, users tend to stretch the use of manufacturers' blades beyond a point of usefulness (i.e., after they've become dull).
In light of the above, it is apparent that there is a need in the industry to provide blades and other accessories for oscillating power tools which are compatible with oscillating power tools made by different manufacturers.